Earn your Ph.D. in Mechanobiology
The Research Centre of Excellence for Mechanobiology (RCE Mechanobiology), in partnership with the Department of Biological Sciences and other academic departments at the National University of Singapore, has an excellent graduate program leading to a Ph.D. degree by research in Mechanobiology. The missions of the program include the training of graduate students with both depth and breadth in this new integrative and quantitative discipline. The program for graduate studies ensures the selection of outstanding students receiving research training by some of the top scientists from all over the world in the field of Mechanobiology and Bioimaging.
Admission Criteria
We follow the admission guidelines established by the RCE for Mechanobiology under the National University of Singapore. Generally students are admitted with RCE Research Scholarships. Research Scholars will be given a monthly stipend and a full tuition fee subsidy. For Research Scholars in the Ph.D. programme, monthly stipends for all admitted students (local and international) are currently S$3,200.The minimum requirement for admission with Research Scholarship is a B.Sc. degree (equivalent four years of undergraduate programme).
Local students - GRE requirement is waived for students graduating with honours degree from NUS or NTU.
Overseas students should provide scores of GRE (minimal requirements: verbal, 500; quantitative, 700; written analytical, 3.5) or GATE (minimum 90 percentile). Applicants who did not have their earlier education in the English language should also provide TOEFL scores (minimal requirements: internet-based test, 85; paper-based test, 580; computer-based test, 260). Shortlisted foreign candidates are generally required for interview either by telephone or in their home countries.
Laboratory rotation program
All new graduate students are required to select two labs and spend no more than 3 months in each lab. The new students can work with a senior student or other lab member during the attachment period. Each student is to write a short report (2-3 pages long) on completion of the attachment to the two labs. At the end of this period, students are to decide to work for the thesis research in one of the two labs to which they were attached.
Course work requirements
All students need to meet the following course work requirements: Ph.D. program: Six graduate modules (level 5000); CAP, 3.5 (B).
Qualifying examination (QE) for Ph.D. program
Ph.D. students are required to pass QE before end of the 20th month after initial enrolment. The QE consists of two parts: the written and oral QEs. The written one includes an NIH RO1 style proposal (only scientific part) on the thesis project; and oral part consists of questions related to the proposed thesis research as well as general knowledge to assess the students’ preparedness for completing a Ph.D. thesis. A QE committee will be formed for each student and the student needs to present an open seminar to the RCE members and undergo the oral examination. The QE Committee then determines and recommends whether the student is to continue the Ph.D. program.
Thesis advisory committee
Each Ph.D. student will have a thesis advisory committee; the supervisor will arrange for such committees in consultation with the students. This committee (usually, it comprises of the supervisor and two faculty members, with at least one member from RCE) will assess the research progress at regular intervals.